Lily of The Slums
by Veronica Sweetheart
Summary: Aerith becomes a sex industry worker in Sector 6 to make extra income. Tseng comes to her aid when she needs him most. Rated M for violence, sexual themes, and graphic sex scenes in future chapters. **Tserith, TsengxAerith
1. Chapter 1

**Hi Guys!**

**So, I took a small break from writing my other fic "Into The Fire", because I got a wave of inspiration to write this little "Tserith" interlude. It's pretty much non-canon, but I'm having a boat-loads of fun writing it =D I just love those Turks!**

**Anyway, please let me know if you like it. It's rated M for adult themes AND shameless sex scenes that I'll be posting awfully soon. So buckle up!**

**A few fun strip club songs that you can play to get yourself in the mood (like I did!) are:**

**1.) "Everywhere I Go" ~Hollywood Undead**

**2.) "Cola" ~Lana Del Rey**

**3.) "Meet Your Master" ~NIN**

**FFVII and its characters are property of Square-Enix. No money is being made from this work of fiction.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Aerith tied her hair back while appraising herself in her faded mirror: She was currently sporting a skimpy red teddy made of satin, with pink lace trim. She huffed as she slipped her dress on over the suggestive lingerie, careful to hide any of the frilly edges with her red jacket.  
If Elmyra saw her in this getup -or any of her other secret work outfits for that matter- she'd suffer an aneurism and die right on the spot. Subsequently, Aerith would die too -of shame and embarrassment.  
Once she was satisfied with her seemingly normal outfit (with a secret surprise underneath), she transferred a few of her belongings in her flower basket; A makeup bag, a pair of black high heel shoes, wet wipes, vanilla body spray, and a spare bra and panty set (which was considerably more bland than what she was hiding underneath her signature pink dress). Once satisfied, she strategically placed lilies and tulips over the top to serve as a shield for the items underneath.

Tonight was going to be a long night: a double shift. She made sure to have a big meal at dinner, since she had no idea if she'd even get a moment to break for food or drink tonight. The Don had been working everyone extra hard these days, and it was only a matter of time before he put her to better use elsewhere. She shuddered at the thought.

_~~Earlier in the evening ~~_

"Sweetie, slow down! You act like you're a starving child in the ruins of Corel. Are you feeling okay?" Elmyra's playful laugh segued to serious questioning as Aerith shoveled lentil stew into her mouth, sopping it up with bread and butter, licking her fingers clean in a very un-lady-like fashion.

"I'm fine, mom," she smiled. "I've just been walking a lot lately between Sector Four and Sector Seven. I want to get a head start on sales tonight. A lot of couples will be out on the square after the First two showings of 'Loveless'," she lied through her teeth. Although it was date night and the Sector Seven square would certainly be busy, she was going to a much different destination to do work that was decidedly _different_ from her typical flower sales job...

Aerith was so much better at lying these days, it seemed. "I have to push theses spring blooms while I can. They wither pretty quickly so I have to hustle. The more money I make, the closer we get to leaving Midgar, right?" She grinned at Elmyra before sipping some sweet tea from a straw.

"I suppose," Elmyra wiped her brow and placed her ladle on the counter before sitting down to join her lively, and seemingly famished daughter for dinner. "I just want to make sure you're in good health is all. One might think I'm not feeding you enough," she scowled.

"Mo-_om_," Aerith chided, rolling her eyes. "I'm fine, just hungry. And I don't feel like paying out the nose for a snack while I'm out and about."

"Okay, okay. I'll pack some dried apples for you before you go. I just wish you didn't have to do this so much at night anymore. It worries me. You're such a pretty girl, and men can be dangerous. And those awful Shinra agents are always poking around here. The tall one was here again yesterday. He came about an hour after you left. He's very persistent, even after all these years." Elmyra took one bite of her stew before standing up again to clean off the counter.

_'The woman never stops bustling around. Or worrying,_' Aerith smiled to herself as she shook her head.

"Tseng is harmless," she reassured her adoptive mother as she stood to clear her bowl from the table. "He just likes to be seen. He has to show Shinra that he's at least doing his job. Somewhat. He won't take me. If he hasn't already, why would he now all of a sudden?" She set her dishes in the sink and leaned against the counter. "Besides, Tseng is nothing but nice to me, to be honest," she lowered her head now with a soft smile, reminiscing on all of the times Tseng would collect her letters to Zack in a valiant effort to deliver them to her seldom-seen or heard-from Soldier boyfriend. She hadn't taken the time to write anymore letters lately –After a moment of clarity in the church a few months prior: Zack was gone. And he wasn't coming back.

Elmyra reached up to brush a strand of hair from her daughter's lovely face, cupping her cheek in admiration. _When had her little girl become so tall and womanly?_ She took a deep breath, "He would do it for himself, my precious girl -Not for Shinra ...or anyone else. He would take you and keep you from me. I know that in my heart. So be careful, Lovey."

Aerith smiled warmly at her ever-vigilant mother, "I'm always careful mom," clinking her metal cuffs together for emphasis: "I'm tough."

Aerith knew very well that Tseng admired her. He always hovered nearby, just out of reach. He was a tall, intimidating man of Wutaian descent who had a very serious nature about him (Just as most men of Wutai were: stoic, reserved, respectable.) She surmised that Tseng was about 10-15 years her senior, and that he was a high-ranking employee within Shinra's special operations department -due to the fact that he could get away with failing to bring her into custody for far too long. As in: twelve or so years too long. He just ...meandered around her, and got away with it somehow.

The people of the Slums dubbed Tseng and his band of crack thugs and sharpshooters "The Turks", due to their ruthless intimidation, intel, and battle tactics. The nickname stuck and the small band of employees within Special Ops wore the name with pride -Even long before the current lineup of Tseng &amp; Co.

Aerith first encountered Tseng when she was only about 7 years old, after she escaped Shinra labs with her birth mother. She was taken in by the kind woman who now stood before her: Elmyra. She reminisced to the days when she would hide behind Elmyra in an attempt to evade being captured and dragged back to the living nightmare that was Shinra Labs.

Tseng appeared to be in his twenties at the time when he and Shinra troops started showing up at their doorstep. After that, he remained a steady presence in her life; A sentinel who watched over her as she grew from a feisty little girl into an equally feisty, beautiful young woman.

_~~Later…~~_

"Mom, I'm headed out. I'll try not to be too late!" Aerith hollered over her shoulder, fully knowing that she would, if fact, be too late. As in 5 or 6am late. She glanced at the clock: 8:13pm. She had to hustle if she was going to get to Wall Market in time. If she was late again, that would really send the Head Mistress flying into a tizzy.

"Okay, Lovey! Be careful!" Elmyra's voice came from the washroom.

Aerith locked the door behind her and began her nightly trek to Wall Market.

The lovely flower girl started to make some better income since she started working at The Doll House Club in Sector 6 a little over a month ago. She somehow fell into the Adult entertainment industry after being approached by a cute teen girl with a chipped front tooth who had been wandering around the square recruiting newbies:

_"You'll do fiiiine."_

_Shayla, the skinny, Chip-toothed, bleach blonde girl in fishnets and a short gold dress cracked her gum and smiled reassuringly at Aerith, "I rake in two K a month. A lot of it is hands off, too! If you stick to the viewing booths, you don't even have to look at the dudes. Or chicks. Whatever. You just have to chat and be nice and put on a little show."_

After a particularly tough sales day for Aerith, Shayla convinced her to at least drop into the Honey Bee Doll House -the club that was attached to the infamous inn. It was more of a gentleman's club with bottle service, stripper poles, and private viewing booths. Shayla worked the pole, the floor, and the booths, and sometimes provided private "escort service" outside the club for extra cash. The Doll House was looking for fresh girls for the viewing booths and Aerith seemed to fit the bill nicely.

_"It's easy," she explained, taking the prim and proper flower girl by the hands. "I'll show you the ropes, so you ain't gotta worry about nothin'. Sound good?" She shook the older girl's hands excitedly, as if she had done something right and was about to receive some form of praise, but not necessarily from Aerith.  
_  
Long story short, Aerith reluctantly agreed. She never imagined in her wildest dreams that she would ever become one of "_those girls"_. Lo and behold, here she was, smudging eyeliner around her eyes to create a dramatic look –and to keep anyone potentially familiar from recognizing her. She sat in front of her vanity mirror, surrounded by women in scant clothing, preparing to entertain the myriad of clients who were about to fill the club.

"Here, sweetie," an older woman handed her an un-marked envelope.  
Aerith looked up to see Savannah, the Head Mistress of the dancers hovering over her with a smirk.  
"Seems like you've got an admirer." The Head Mistress appraised her newest peep show girl with a cock-eye ('Lily' was it? The girl always walked in with a basket of fresh flowers, for Pete's sake!), while leaning against her vanity to light up a cigarette. She blew the smoke out of the side of her mouth as she waited for Aerith to open the letter she had delivered.

Aerith set down her eyeliner pencil and proceeded to open the envelope, which revealed a folded note and five gil coins -which immediately dropped to the floor with a light tinkling noise.

Savanna whistled as she used her long red nails to scoop up the coins from the floor, slapping them down on the vanity before 'Lily', "Looks like a big night for you so far! Don't forget you owe a cut to the club, and the DJ, and the dear old Don, my pet." She patted Aerith on the shoulder roughly as she proceeded to walk off to bother the other girls who were dilly-dallying around the dressing room.

Aerith fingered up the Gil that was placed before her. She never actually saw this color and shape of Gil before: 500 Gil, five one hundred Gil coins in all. Slum-dwellers never saw such large amounts of cash at one time; only plate-dwellers did.

Still in shock, she turned her attention to the hand-written note:

_"You don't have to do this anymore."_

_'That's it?' _she thought to herself in annoyance.

But then her stomach lurched. Had someone out there discovered her secret?

"Oooh you gotta sugar daddy?!" Shayla had taken notice and snatched the note out from under Aerith's nose. Apparently she had been snooping over her shoulder the entire time. She hopped up onto the vanity to appraise the note. "How much?" she questioned as she peered over the note with her thick false lashes.

"...Five hundred," Aerith responded, still in quiet disbelief.

"YOWZA!" Shayla practically shouted, tossing the hand written note behind her as she stood. "I wish I could get that much from some sneaky booth creep. I don't even get that much after sucking ugly dick! This dude must really be into you," she snorted as she laughed.

Aerith wrinkled her nose at the "ugly dick" comment. She decided to brush this incident aside and just get to work. She placed the money in her wallet and locked it inside her vanity. She'd think about it later. She could honestly pack up and go home now, but more money was to be made tonight. She couldn't keep her customers waiting just because some dude took it upon himself to be her _"savior"._ Also, if she slipped out now, she'd have both Don Corneo _AND_ Shinra on her case. What a mess she had gotten herself into… but still, she continued to remind herself: the more money she made, the sooner she and Elmyra could leave this God-forsaken place.

Aerith AKA 'Lily' walked down the hall, her black heels echoing off the cement walls before climbing into her assigned viewing booth. The hot white lights came up while the familiar mirrored glass revealed to her a very unfamiliar reflection of herself, even after all this time. She wasn't the demure flower girl anymore. The alluring sexpot Lily had snatched her body and morphed her into something highly desirable and much more risqué. She heard the familiar whirring noise of the booth machine as the client entered coins from the other side. The sound of the window opening signaled her to start as she was now on display for a pair of hungry eyes that she couldn't even see.

She used to imagine Zack on the other side of the peep show viewing booth -that she was performing for him and only him. Her raw honesty in her acts of sexual self-exploration and expression must have been why customers kept coming back to her booth night after night after night. That, and her willingness to lend an ear to so many of the lonely business men and unhappily married men who came into the club out of desperation. Many of them just wanted a pretty female to talk to and confide in. Aerith, being the kind-hearted woman she was, happily obliged. Every time.

Slowly but surely, her delusion of Zack on the other side had faded. She knew he was gone. These days she was simply dancing and performing for herself. The people on the other side of the glass just got to watch as she pleasured herself out of loneliness and despair. Her dances were haunting, if her viewers had been so inclined to watch.

Her first few customers for the night had been "typical" for the most part. "Typical" as in: one particular customer wanted her to yell at him and threaten to cut off his balls, another just wanted to chat about politics and slum-life, and another was happy for her to just rub her breasts together for a while. A few others came and went, and Aerith catered to them by performing to the best of her abilities.

She felt a wave of relief when she was given a short break about three and a half hours into her double shift. She wandered back to her vanity station to sip on a bottle of water while munching on some of the dried apples that Elmyra had packed for her. Her ears perked up as Shayla and another dancer discussed a commotion that had taken place not too long ago: "…those types around here. They must be looking for someone. I heard gun shots when I was upstairs a little while ago. It came from next door."

"Is it Shinra?" another girl chimed in.

"I bet the Don did something shady to piss them off again."

"I hate when they come here."

"Yeah but they have _money! _I like when they come in!"

Aerith finished her snack and tidied herself up, unwilling to be sucked into the gossip going on around her. She just wanted to do her job and go home. She didn't need to get caught up in anything Shinra-related tonight.

* * *

Her second shift was uneventful, for the most part. One customer had been a giggling female who was probably sent into the booth on a dare. Aerith experienced at least two or three such customers in the past, so she was used to catering to them, too.

The hours ticked by slowly after her break. The booth became so constraining whenever she neared the end of her shift. Tonight she had to stay 4 hours longer than usual, due to the lack of workers. She figured it had to be close to 4am by now, and business had slowed down somewhat. As she sat and fiddled with her hair, she heard the whir of the cash machine signaling that another customer had come in. At the rate things were going, this was probably going to be her last customer for the night. She hoped to hold onto them long enough to fill her last hour.

She got into position sitting casually on her knees, leaning forward seductively. The window slid up, exposing her to whoever was on the other side.

"Hi, I'm Lily. What can I do for you tonight?" she shrugged a shoulder forward in an attempt to look sultrier.

No response.

"S'matter sweetie? Are you shy? I'm not gonna bite," she giggled. She was used to quiet customers by now. She became better at handling them after her first week of employment. She was given a crash course on how to be an exotic entertainer by Shayla, who was more accustomed to dirty talk, pillow talk, and all other manners of seductive flirtation. Before that, the only people who had ever seen Aerith naked as an adult were Elmyra and Zack. And of course the only person with whom she had ever been intimate was Zack.

Shayla told her that if the people on the other side of the glass were quiet, they just wanted to see tits and ass so they could "get off and get the fuck out." Aerith felt dirty to be used in such a manner, but Shayla reassured her it was better than being an escort, or working at the Inn, where you were more likely to be physically used and abused. Aerith certainly wanted none of that.

After the first half of her shift, she had worn out her red teddy and stockings by removing them and putting them back on so many times. So, she now donned a simple baby pink satin bra and panty set that was kept as backup in her locker. She was chilly wearing less fabric, but it was easier than dealing with the blasted complicated lingerie she had been wearing all night prior.

She returned to the matter at hand: "Okay sweetie, no problem. I'll just dance for you, and if you like it, I'll keep going. If you want me to do something else, just let me know," she winked as she began to undulate to the residual music that pumped in from the main dance floor. She placed her hands behind her neck to seductively play with her hair, pulling it all to the top of her head before fiddling with her bra straps as her fell down in chestnut waves. She decided to make this more of a teasing dance, unless the customer specified otherwise. She was also forming gooseflesh from the cold, and she was tired of completely exposing herself for the night. She went through the motions as she lie on her back to let her hands roam over her body, squeezing her breasts and rubbing her fingers over her panties. She shifted back onto her knees, opening and closing them as she undulated. She paused for a moment to rub her hands against her arms to create some warmth from the friction.

"Are you cold?" an unexpected, deep male voice came from the other side of the glass.

Aerith looked up in surprise and smiled. "He speaks," she giggled. "I'm a little chilly but I'll be alright." She leaned forward and sat directly in front of the glass. "How about _you_? Are you having a good night?" She tilted her head inquisitively. "Not too cold, I hope?" She smiled again.

No response.

The energy emanating from this person was affecting her somehow. She knew that he wanted to talk to her, but he was holding back.

She continued the session uninterrupted after that. No more words came from this quiet customer, and eventually the window slid shut.

Aerith had such a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach after her last session. It was like an internal alarm that was trying to warn her of something. She reached out to the planet for an answer, but only received white noise in response.

She deftly changed into more appropriate attire, gathered her belongings, making sure to pack her cash, including the 500 gil donation from her secret admirer, tightly in the bottom of her basket before heading out the back door of the club. She was greeted by the awful stench of the Sector 6 back alley. Securing her metal staff to her back, she trudged through the murky puddles and garbage of the alley to reach the main path of the market. Even though it was just after 5am, Wall Market continued to bustle with nightlife. This part of town never slept, it seemed. It was a perpetual playground for the degenerates of Midgar.

Aerith couldn't wait to arrive home and go to sleep, but she figured she could pop into the church to check on her flowers quick before sneaking back into her house. She hurried out of Sector 6 to avoid any unwanted attention and hopped on the path back to Sector 5. She was interrupted, though, when a familiar tuft of red hair came into view on the path ahead of her.

Reno of The Turks.

"Oi, Ancient!" he hollered to her from afar.

"Back off Turk," she warned as she approached, readying her staff in case he tried anything. She just wanted to walk by undisturbed. She didn't have it in her to battle with Shinra tonight.

"No need for the attitude, yo," he put his hands up in peace. "Where the heck are you headed to all gussied up at this hour?" he placed his hands in his pockets as he cocked his head in appraisal of her.

_'Gussied up? What-Drat!' _Her extended shift had really wiped her out, so, in her haste to get out of the club, she neglected to do one of the most important things she needed to keep Elmyra -or anyone- from questioning her whereabouts: She realized that she hadn't washed off her makeup.

"Orrrrr maybe I should ask where you're coming _from_?" Reno sniggered knowingly.

"Shut up!" she snapped. "My business is none of yours, Turk!" she spat.

"Whatever, chica," he laughed a bit more. "Maybe Don Corneo's got you turning tricks up in that big 'ol mansion of his, huh? Maybe I'll come visit you sometime," he wiggled his eyebrows.

She was seething as she brushed past him, but she was angrier at herself for slipping up. It was only a matter of time before her secret was completely exposed. She was so tired she could cry. She _would not_ let Reno see her cry, though.

"You look good, Aerith!" he hollered after her. "Seriously, yo! Let me know when I can come on up and see you, sometime!" His laugh taunted her as she rounded the corner into her neighborhood.

"Never, you stupid ass," she mumbled as she continued on her way. The flowers could wait till the afternoon. She just wanted to go home and cry herself to sleep.

And that's exactly what she did.

* * *

**_To be continued..._**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi Everyone! Here's Chapter 2. I hope you stick around and check back for more updates =)**

**"Yayo" written by Lana Del Rey (with one minor edit).  
**

**FFVII and its characters are property of Square Enix. No money is being made from this work of fiction.**

* * *

After her daily routine of waking at noon, doing household chores, and tending to her vegetable garden, Aerith walked to the church to check on her flowers. It had been a few days since she last visited, so she hoped nobody ransacked the place. Everything seemed to be in order as she watered the blooms and took stock of her seeds and soil. As she stood to wipe her brow, however, she caught something in the corner of her eye -moving through the back of the church. When she turned to look, the movement stilled. She smiled to herself and began packing up her gardening tools. She was always being watched. She was used to it by now.

After an uneventful dinner with Elmyra, 'Lily' found herself back at the seedy job that was making her good money, yet slowly sucking the life out of her. Her spiritual energy had become much lower now that she was spending less time in the church, tending to her plants and conversing with the planet. It became increasingly more difficult for her to hear the planet's song -which upset her greatly.

She missed Zack. She longed for a companion, a purpose, a clear direction in life. She longed to travel, for great romance, for something other than what she was exposed to on a day-to-day basis in here the slums. This path she was currently on -this was the path of dashed hopes and shattered dreams. She prayed that she could get out before it became a waking nightmare. She believed with all her heart that if she worked hard enough, surely her dream of a better life would come true.

That evening Aerith arrived to work with exactly one minute to spare. Upon entering the dressing room she bumped into the back of the head mistress, Savannah, who was currently standing in front of a gaggle of her workers. Aerith mumbled an apology before joining Shayla and the other girls as they huddled together to hear what their boss had to say:

"Listen up, ladies! The Don is coming in tonight. I need everyone to bring their A-game. No fuckery will be tolerated! If any one of you gets out of line in front of The Don, **you're done.** I'll see to it personally that you're ass gets thrown out into the street during primetime, _understood_?"

"Why is he coming here tonight?" Shayla whispered to the girl in front of her as she fastened her gold hoop earrings.

"He's probably looking for a couple of _'brides'_," a short brunette girl whispered back before turning her gaze towards Aerith, sizing her up while cracking her bubblegum. Did she know something Aerith didn't?

It was common knowledge among Honey Bee Inn and Doll House workers that Don Corneo's _"brides"_ were his hand-picked concubines. Once recruited, they would reside with the Don and his men in the Mansion on the edge of Sector 6. Corneo's mansion was a den of sin and pleasure for the Midgar elite class. He catered to slum-lords and executives alike. If you were a high-roller, the Don welcomed you with open arms. If you crossed him, you'd lose your arms (or your life, for that matter). Plain and simple.

Aerith had only met the Don in-person once -when she was first hired. She was part of a group interview with six other girls. She tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible, shying to the back of the group as the Don babbled on about loyalty, respect, and ultimately being "sexy little chickies".

_~~"The customer is top priority, my little angels. You are going to make their wildest dreams and fantasies come true!" he laughed from his belly as he puffed on a rancid-smelling cigar.~~_

In short, he was a disgusting pig.

But he was also the wealthiest man below the plate. If you needed help until payday -you went to see the Don. If you were down on your luck and your wife was threatening to leave you -the Don put you to work. He ruled Sector 6 with an Iron Fist, and you didn't cross him. Unless, of course, you didn't feel like living anymore.

It was after midnight as Aerith neared the end of her Saturday night shift. Luckily she didn't have to work overtime again tonight. With any luck she would be done before the Don decided to show up to heckle her along with the other new girls: His "Sexy Little Chickies".

Tonight she wore an ivory silk negligee that slipped off the shoulders easily, accompanied by bright pink panties; Simple, yet sexy. She stretched and yawned as the coin machine whirred and the window before her slid open. Readying herself with a feather tickler in-hand, she got into position, lying lazily on her side as she teased her neck with the tickler.

"Hi, I'm Lily," she smiled. "What can I do for you tonight?"

Silence.

She got that same feeling deep in her tummy as the silence stretched, reaching out with her energetic tethers to feel the aura of the person on the other side. Aerith always had a bit of a sixth sense, courtesy of her birth mother's Cetra blood flowing through her veins. It enabled her to feel subtle changes in the energy around her, as well as the energy emitted from individuals, plants, and animals… in short - Aerith was a highly sensitive young woman.

This person –the person on the other side- their energy was awfully intense and somewhat familiar. Aerith definitely felt this presence before: Last night and prior to that, even.

The music coming from the club had been slow and pretty for the past hour or so. A burlesque performance was scheduled on the main floor tonight, so the bass from the club wasn't as overwhelmingly pulsating as was typical for a Saturday night. It set a bit of a softer mood within the confines of the booth.

_I like the snake on your tattoo  
I like the ivy and the ink blue  
Yayo  
Yes, you  
Yayo_

_You have to take me right now_  
_From this dark trailer park life now_  
_Yayo_  
_How now_  
_Yayo_

Aerith giggled softly, sitting up from her reclined position, leaning forward slightly to ask, "Are you my shy guy from last night?"

No answer.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," she giggled knowingly, thinking it was kind of cute and endearing how reserved this guy was.

She fiddled with the hem of her negligee as she bit her lip, "You'll be happy to know I'm not too chilly tonight. Maintenance fixed the thermostat for me."

_Put me onto your black motorcycle  
50's baby doll dress for my "I do"_  
_It only takes two hours to Gongaga_  
_I wear your sparkle, you call me your mama_

She pressed on through the silence. "Do you want to see more tonight? Last night I didn't really go all the way for you," she peeked out from behind her bangs, trying to coax an answer from him. She had to admit: This was fun! She was actually getting a little turned on, but unsure as to why. Maybe because this person, whoever he was, proved to be a challenge for her? The people on the other side of the glass usually had no reservations whatsoever. Their anonymity provided protection from embarrassment or shame, so many customers spoke to her openly, without reservations, without hesitation.

This was different. A change of pace from the typical clientele that she begrudgingly dealt with on a nightly basis.

_Let me put on a show for you, daddy_  
_Let me put on a show_  
_Let me put on a show for you, tiger_  
_Let me put on a show_

"Don't you want to talk to me?" she asked in a small, sad voice, eyes wide and head tilted in a flirty fashion.

The silence stretched.

_I need you like a baby when I hold you_  
_Like a druggy, like I told you_  
_Yayo_  
_Yeah, you_  
_Yayo_

She sighed, "All right. Maybe you'll talk to me tomorrow, then?" She smiled again as she inched the negligee up her torso, rubbing her chest and neck in a seductive fashion. "I hope you do," she teasingly dipped her fingers into her panties.

"Did you get my note?" The same deep male voice from last night crept over to her from the other side.

Aerith abruptly stopped what she was doing as her eyes widened in shock. Tentatively, she responded, "Wh-what note?"

The air was now filled with electric tension as she tried to get her panic under control. Was this guy some yahoo stalker?

"You know what note."

This guy was no-nonsense.

_Put me onto your black motorcycle  
50's baby doll dress for my "I do"  
It only takes two hours to Gongaga  
I wear your sparkle, you call me your mama_

_Let me put on a show for you, daddy_  
_Let me put on a show_  
_Let me put on a show for you, tiger_  
_Let me put on a show_

Her heart began to pound as blood pulsed loudly in her ears. She felt as though she was in an extremely dangerous situation. Was this man following her? She had to calm herself. If she didn't, she'd be in even more trouble than she might be now.

"You're right. I'm sorry," she tried to act calm, plastering a false smile on her face in attempt to look natural. "Thank you. It was very generous of you. I hope it means that you'll continue to come and see me," she tried to get him to converse more.

"That's the opposite of what it meant, Aerith," he stated bluntly.

_'He knows my name?!_' Aerith tuned her ears to the sound of his voice. It was difficult to hear him last night, but tonight she could hear him much more clearly.

That deep, serious voice belonged to only one person she could think of. Elmyra's words rang through her mind as clear as a bell:

_~~"He would take you and keep you from me. I know that in my heart, so be careful, Lovey."~~_

_Hello, heaven, you are a tunnel-lined  
With yellow lights on a dark night  
Yayo  
Yes, you  
Yayo_

Aerith narrowed her eyes and moved toward the glass. "…Tseng?" she whispered lowly to herself.

_Put me onto your black motorcycle  
50's baby doll dress for my "I do"  
It only takes two hours to Gongaga  
I wear your sparkle, you call me your mama_

Of course it had been him all along. It had to be. Who else watched her every move? Who else knew more about her than her own mother? Who else looked at her like he would devour her at any given moment?

She was mortified. How long had he been coming to see her? How long had he known?

_'How long has he known?!'_

Her slip-up with Reno the night before probably didn't help matters much. Tseng would probably be _beyond_ enraged if his subordinates had been talking their trash about Aerith selling herself in Sector 6. Before she had a chance to react, however, the handle on the door behind her began to jiggle. She whipped her head around in time to see two of Don Corneo's men enter her stage area.

"That's the girl, Scotch," a gruff looking man with a blonde Mohawk informed his partner as they entered the booth.

Aerith's eyes widened in fright as the two men approached her. She immediately forgot about the probability of Tseng on the other side of the glass as she cowered in fear. She had nowhere to run as the man in dark sunglasses, Scotch, approached her.

"Heeere kitty, kitty," he curled a tattooed finger at her while the man with the Mohawk whistled.

"N-NO!" she shouted in vain.

Both men covered their faces with bandanas as the blonde one activated a can of tear gas.

Before Aerith could react, her eyes watered in searing pain and she began to choke. She felt arms grab her from behind as she stuggled in sheer terror -before everything went black.

_Let me put on a show for you, daddy_  
_Let me put on a show_  
_Let me put on a show for you, tiger_  
_Let me put on a show_

* * *

_**To be continued...**  
_


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone! I'd like to thank my followers and the positive reviews I've received so far.**

**In return, here's a LONG, SMUT-FILLED chapter for you. Because I'm a nice person, OKAY?! ;)**

**Be forewarned that there is inadvertent drug use and scenes of explicit sex in this story. If you don't like that kind of thing, then you don't have to stay at this party.**

**Also, I went to see John Wick starring Keanu Reeves this past weekend and it was Kick Nuts! I had a lot of this chapter written before seeing the movie, but holy moley! John Wick has such a "Tseng Vibe" about him, so he inspired me to spice up and finish what I had written so far. **

**Also, the main song of the movie, "Killing Strangers" by Marilyn Manson can be considered some great background music for this chapter. **

**Also, also: The sex scene at the end was edited to "Aston Martin Music" by Rick Ross ft. Drake. Sexy stuff. **

**Feel free to use these songs to enhance your reading experience.**

**Disclaimer: FFVII and it's Characters are Property of Square-Enix. No money is being made from this work of fiction.**

* * *

Aerith woke to the sounds of moaning. And grunting. And … slapping?

She was surprisingly comfortable a she cracked her eyes open to survey her surroundings: Everything was red and gold and garishly opulent. Had she awoken in some exotic country? The décor was Wutaian and the spicy scent of incense tingled her nostrils. She had been lying on a pile of pillows behind an Oriental changing screen that displayed erotic scenes of Geisha and Warlords.

She sat up slowly and rubbed her forehead, still clad in her negligee from the club. How long had she been passed out? And furthermore, what was happening on the other side of the changing screen? (Did she even want to know?)

Aerith tentatively crawled forward on the pile of pillows toward the edge of the screen. She peeked around the corner to spy a shocking scene: Don Corneo and three women were piled atop a large red bed, engaged in something that could only be described as "_wildly pornographic"_. She didn't look long enough to gather details, but what she saw was a very large, very naked Don in the throes of ecstasy. She fell back and covered her mouth to keep from gasping aloud in shock.

_Is that why she was here?! _Was the Don going to force her into performing sexual acts once she woke up? Oh, she should have _never _taken the job in the first place. What had she gotten herself into?

She gathered up her willpower to lie back down on the pillows and "play dead". Her plan was to stay that way for as long as she possibly could -until she figured out an escape plan. She ascertained that this must be a room somewhere in his mansion, and that she had to get out before something _really_ bad happened to her. She drowned out the carnal sounds from the other side of the screen as she focused on how to escape this crazy situation.

_'And what about Tseng? It must have been him. He gave me that money to get me to stop doing what I've been doing. He must think I'm disgusting… I should have listened…I should have just tppk the money and left…'_

She willed herself to lie still and slow her breathing until she figured out the right time to act.

_'What a mess…'_

* * *

Sometime later, after things quieted down, the Don and his ladies exited the room. Aerith was now alone with her thoughts. She slowly, quietly rose from her makeshift pillow lounge to inspect the room for viable escape routes. After swiping her hands along the walls, the light fixtures, and lifting rugs to inspect the floor for any possible secret trap doors, she regretfully realized that there was only one door: The main door. One way in and one way out. No windows, no fire exits, nothing.

The willful young flower girl was trapped.

She resigned herself to the pillows again, fighting back tears as she came to terms with her fate. She stiffened with fright as she heard the doors open, followed by a purring noise and a howl.

"Where's my pretty little kitty? Here kitty, kitty!"

_'Planet help me!'_ Aerith cried out in a desperate prayer. She feigned sleep as the insufferable man named Scotch approached her immobile form.

"Theres my pretty kitty," he said softly as he knelt next to her, brushing her bangs from her face and cupping her chin. "When are you gonna wake up so we can play, pretty girl?" Aerith fought the urge to scream as he touched and breathed on her.

Scotch traced a finger down her cheek, over her neck and clavicle, down her chest, settling a greedy palm on her breast, cupping and kneading it as he bent down to kiss her lips.

She could hold back no longer, opening her eyes to cry out.

"Ohhh ho hoo! You were pretending the whole time. What a bad kitty!" he laughed.

"Let me go!" she hollered as he pinned her down with his own weight, straddling her tiny frame and holding her wrists above her head.

"Sure, babe. I'll let you go. Right after you make me cum. How 'bout that?"

Aerith screamed against his heavy chest as he held her firm to the pillows. Her eyes widened as she heard his belt buckle jingling. "NOOO!" She screamed again, hoisting her knee into his crotch, temporarily incapacitating the relentless thug on top of her. She took that as her cue to slide out from underneath him as he slumped to the side in agony. However, he grabbed her ankle in her clumsy attempt to get up and run, causing her to fall to the ground with an "oof!" -subsequently knocking the wind out of her.

"Where do you think you're going, you little bitch?!" he grit his teeth in anger. She screamed as he dragged her backwards. "You really shouldn't piss me off like that. I wanted to play nice! Now you've gone and ruined it!"

The altercation was interrupted as Don Corneo re-entered the room, chewing a cigar and looking mighty pissed.

"SCOTCH!" he hollered in annoyance, causing the man to release Aerith's ankle. He sat up in haste, scratching the back of his head to avoid eye contact with the Don, hiding his expression behind his signature sunglasses.

"S-sorry Boss! The girl-she was trying to escape!" he pleaded with his hands in front of him.

"Yeah, escape from YOU!" the Don scoffed before taking a drag of his cigar and blowing into his goon's face. "You dimwit!" he hollered. "Every time I bring a new girl in you have to scare her, don't you?! "

"I was only tryin' ta'-!"

"Can it, Scotch!" the Don raised his hand. "Tell the girl you're sorry and get out of my sight!" the palm of his ring-covered right hand came down and connected to Scotch's face with a thunderous crack, smacking the sunglasses right of the goon's face.

Scotch rubbed his cheek like a scolded child. He bowed his head in an apology to Aerith, scrambling around on the floor to locate his sunglasses before running out the door.

"Damn, fool!" The Don spat after him. "He's lucky he's my sister's kid or I'd have him offed by now."

Aerith recoiled as The Don bent a knee and extended a hand to her, "I'm sorry if he upset you, my dear. He doesn't like to follow even the simplest directions. That's what happens when one's brain is the size of a peanut."

She studied his hand: Plump fingers covered with gaudy gold rings, calloused and cracked fingernails, and a tattoo of a Wutaian symbol on his wrist. He reeked of sour tobacco and his hair was shaved into a short blonde Mohawk with a cowlick. The side of his head displayed a tattoo of a heart that said "Love" in the middle.

Aerith's mind flashed-back to earlier when she witnessed his "session" involving two other females. Just the image of his nude form was enough to make her queasy.

"Don't be afraid, sweet-cheeks! The Don is here to help you. I won't let anything bad happen to you from here on out," he persisted with his hand in the hopes that she would trust him.

Everything about this man was slimy; His hair, his mouth, his mannerisms. Aerith felt dirty for even touching him, yet she took his slimy paw as he helped her to her feet.

"There, now," he said as he patted her down, wiping imaginary dust from her form, making sure to lightly slap her bottom in the process. "Atta girl, right as rain! So who might you be my lovely flower?" She cringed as he wiggled his eyebrows in praise of her.

"….Lily," she whispered, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"AH! And a lovely flower _she is!_ The most fragrant of all the flowers!" he clapped his hands together in satisfaction. Snapping his fingers towards one of his goons to bring him a light for his cigar, he lit the offensive object as he continued to eye her up.

"Come, Lily," he looped her arm underneath his own as he led her from the room. "I have a much nicer place for you for the duration of your stay with us. We'll be sure to get you cleaned up and ready for work tomorrow evening," he bellowed as she guided her along an upper-walkway of the mansion.

"…Sir," she pleaded softly as they rounded a corner, followed by two of the Don's body guards.

"Yes, my dear?" he smiled down at her. She cringed again. They now stood before a different door, with a Wutaian phrase etched into it. She had trouble deciphering it, figuring that she'd rather not know what it said anyhow.

"Please, Sir, I just want to go home," she urged softly.

"Oh my dear," he took her hands, stroking her knuckles before placing light kisses upon them (she only felt slime) "You won't be going home tonight -or any night soon. This is your home starting tonight. So please get used to it, my precious Lily."

Aerith's eyes widened in terror; she wanted to scream but no sound came out.

Before she knew what was happening, the Don shoved into the room they had been hovering outside of. "I'll be back to see you in an hour, my fragrant Lily! Have her ready for me, Christina," he motioned to a woman that had been standing behind her. Aerith hadn't even noticed her. The door slammed and the sound of a bolt from the opposite side could be heard as it slid into place.

Aerith stood in shock ash she held herself together, holding her arms against her midsection as she dropped to her knees on the floor.

"Come now, sweetie," a soft, tinkling voice came from behind her.

Aerith whipped around to see the girl named Christina readying a kimono-style robe for her to step into.

"I advise you to put this on, because if you don't, the Don will have us punished," she paused for emphasis, "_Severely."_

Christina motioned for Aerith to come towards her as she laid the kimono on a plush floor mat. The hardwood floor was lined with sex toys; dildos, glass plugs, vibrators, beads, feather ticklers, bottles of lube, clamps... She nearly fainted at the mere thought of the Don touching her, let alone using the objects and products displayed so candidly before her.

…but there was no way out of this.

"You nervous sweetie?" Christina asked as she draped the robe over Aerith's arms, securing it with a silk sash around her slim waist.

In the short amount of time that Aerith spent in her presence, she had discovered that Christina was, in fact, a nice person. She seemed to have some sort of pull with the Don, hence her position as a chamber maid. She genuinely didn't want to see Aerith get hurt for being foolish, as in: denying the Don anything he wanted. It would only lead to an even more unpleasant experience.

"_Nervous _is an understatement," Aerith was now on the brink of tears.

"Hey, don't worry," Christina put a caring arm around the frightened girl's shoulders in an attempt to soothe her frayed nerves. "The Don won't be rough on you if you just do what he says. I'm sure out of the other guys you've been with the Don will seem like a bona-fide sweetheart. He's always so nice to girls who look like you…"

"Guy," Aerith stated flatly.

"What guy?" Christina had a confused look on her face.

"One guy," Aerith repeated.

"_ONE GUY?!"_ Christina pulled back to look at her in shock. "Then what have you been doing all this time over at the Doll House?! You mean to tell me you only slept with one guy there? Was he your first?" she was truly intrigued now.

"Yes only one guy, and only once. Three years ago. I knew him before I came to work for …that man," she trailed off quietly.

"Oh sweetie," Christina was really concerned now. "Maybe you should have never walked into this line of business, then."

Aerith blew her bangs from her face with a frustrated puff as the chamber maid stated the obvious.

The woman fished in her pocket to dig out a small box that slid open with her fingertips. She extracted a small orange pill and placed it securely in Aerith's hand. She reached for the glass of wine she had been sipping on and handed it to the terrified young woman who now sat quivering before her.

"This will make it easier for you," she coaxed Aerith as she placed the cup of wine to her lips. She obliged by following it with the mystery pill, throwing her head back to swallow.

A warm sensation washed over her as she lay upon the pillows waiting for the inevitable.

A short amount of time passed before Christina ducked out of the room to leave Aerith alone with her fuzzy thoughts. Her brain floated back to the moments before Don Corneo's men abducted her:

_Tseng._

It had been Tseng who sat silently in the booth, watching her for at least two or three nights now. She was 99% positive it was him, anyhow. It all made sense; the five hundred gil with the note attached had come from him in an attempt to keep her out of trouble. She was out of Shinra's reach now that the Don got his hands on her.

But still, he had stayed to watch her. He could have told her at any time: _"It's me, Tseng. Get your clothes on and let's get out of here."_

But he didn't. He wanted to watch her. _That way._

She had been so naïve to think that no one would figure out what she had been up to -Least of all the man who had been assigned to track her every move since she came tumbling into Sector 6 all those years ago.

Aerith always knew that Tseng liked her; however, his watchful gaze had shifted into something else in the past few years. His curiosity about her and his general enjoyment of their conversations, as well as his enjoyment of her company, morphed into a relentless need to be near her. The shift happened when Zack disappeared. Tseng had become colder to her somehow, but his presence was never so noticed, so evident before. He used to poke around Elmyra's property two or three times a month, but now he visited two or three times a week. Tseng was slowly getting closer, zeroing in on her, and it was only a matter of time before he took her -for himself or Shinra, or both -she didn't quite know.

Tseng's energy was so unclear. He hid his true feelings underneath his signature stoic façade. Yet it became exceedingly difficult for him to keep the babbling brook of his emotional well spring from overflowing whenever Aerith came near. She could feel the shift in his emotional energy. She knew him _too_ well, and it was beginning to agitate him.

Aerith's mind returned to the matter at hand: She had no idea when or how she was going to make it out of this place alive. She should have been terrified at the thought of spending an extended amount of time here, but the orange mystery pill had slowly begun to take effect on her nerves. A wave of calm washed over her as she lay against the pillows. Her skin had become flush as she realized she was now unbearably hot.

Aerith felt something she hadn't experienced since she and her birth mother were Professor Hojo's lab rats: completely stoned. The medicinal cocktails that he would pump into her veins kept her from resisting. They kept Aerith and her mother "in line"; Ifalna was quite resistant, and highly in-compliant. She instilled this behavior in her daughter, so it helped Aerith cope with slum life at an early age.

Aerith was surprised when another unexpected effect from the pill overtook her: She was horny.

_'What WAS that thing?'_ she wondered about the orange mystery pill. She un-did her robe in an attempt to cool her flushed body as she lay upon the plush mat, quietly awaiting her rendezvous with the Don.

_'Oh Hell, if I have to do it, at least I'll be drugged,'_ she thought wantonly. _'Maybe I won't even remember…'_

She waited a little while longer before deciding that she was bored …and still horny.

She hadn't felt like this since she started fooling around with Zack. He would get her all flustered before she had to go home, and she would spend the evening in the bathtub "releasing tension".

She unabashedly reached for a vibrator from the lineup of sex toys. Not even bothering to inspect if it had been used recently, she clicked it on and sent it south. She needed to "release some tension" at the moment and figured she'd do it now before the disgusting Don made her submit to his wishes. She didn't want him to think that she would actually _enjoy_ his foul hands on her.

While bucking her hips upward into the buzzing apparatus in-hand, she heard muffled yelling outside the door, followed by unexpected gunfire. She should have been alarmed, but all she could focus on what the delicious sensation of her body as she neared a vivid, drug-induced orgasm. She heard pounding on the door as she reached her climax, crying out in utter bliss.

_'That didn't take long,'_ she mused, referring to her quick orgasm. The pounding grew louder as waves of pleasure washed through her nerve system again and again. Her body went limp as the vibrator fell from her hand and rolled away.

The pounding turned into a persistent thud before the door crashed open. Light from the hallway flooded the dimly-lit pleasure room, revealing Aerith to the aggressive intruder.

Her eyes adjusted to the brighter light to get a look at the person who had just busted down the door:

It was none other than the Leader of The Turks, an extremely pissed-off Tseng.

Her knight in a navy blue suit had come to rescue her!

Aerith threw her head back and laughed as Tseng stumbled into the room sideways, working ungracefully to regain his footing. Apparently he busted the door down with his shoulder while gripping a magnum in his hands. From the looks of it, he also had an AK-47 strapped to his back.

Tseng turned swiftly to shoot another goon who had snuck up from behind in an amateur attempt to ambush him.

Turks didn't fuck around.

He turned to get a better look at her: Her robe was partially open, fully exposing a supple breast as she sat on her knees, giggling at him. She looked up at him with big doe eyes and plump lips. She had a flush about her, and he noticed the discarded vibrator on the mat behind her.

_Holy… _His sweet, innocent Aerith; It was enough to make him drop to his own knees and cry -As if he hadn't seen enough during the time he spent in the booth with her. He deliberated for a moment before taking a few steps towards her.

"Tseng!" she cried as she unsteadily rose to her feet and launched herself at him with little to no grace whatsoever.

He took her into his arms quite willingly. He ached for this connection, and he'd be damned if he shunned her now. He came for her. He needed to protect her. He loved her beyond all reason. Simply holding her in his arms like this was intoxicating. His mind wandered to what she must have been doing before he arrived. _'Sweet Shiva,'_ he nearly moaned at the thought of her touching herself (with a sex toy, no less). What he saw of her in the viewing booth had been somewhat demure, as she mostly just danced for him. Still, it was enough to kick his hormones into overdrive as he was unable to look away.

The faint sound of shouting further down the hall snapped him out of his fantasies, as he grabbed her by the shoulders to peer directly into her eyes, "We have to go now, Aerith. I'm taking you home."

"I knew you would," she whispered.

His pride swelled to enormous proportions. _She knew he would. _

He bashfully helped her tie her robe before taking her by the shoulders, holding her body close to his as he acted as her protective shield.

The pair stealthily made their way into the now-ruined hallway. Tseng guided her to step over three dead bodies as sawdust still floated through the air. From the looks of it, he had shot up the entire second floor. Two overhead light fixtures were now dangling and blinking, and the walls and ceiling were riddled with bullet holes.

He pressed a finger to his lips to signal her absolute silence as they prowled down the hall together. Upon hearing more voices he grabbed her by the waist, ducking them both into a dark alcove. Aerith's heart raced as Tseng held her flush against his chest with his gloved hand covering her mouth.

"Who in Seven Hells got in?! Did you see them? Look what they did to my penthouse!" Don Corneo's gruff voice echoed through the hallway.

A loud smack could be heard as Corneo slapped one of his goons across the face. He was flanked by two large men who looked as though they both could break a person in half.

"We didn't see anyone, boss! Maybe it was – "

"Shinra," Tseng finished for him before stepping out of their hiding spot, keeping Aerith behind him as he held his gun point blank to the Don's face.

"You fuckin' slime!" a bulky man covered in tattoos moved to pull out his gun, but Tseng was too quick, shooting him _and_ the other goon before returning his aim to the Don.

Unphased, the Don took a drag from his cigar. Placing his free hand on his belt, he stared Tseng down in an 'unimpressed' fashion. After a few tense moments, he finally spoke, "If you wanted a woman, good sir, all you had to do was inquire at the front desk …for a nominal fee, of course. Shinra is always welcome here. There's no need for such a commotion."

"This woman is an asset of Shinra, and she's coming with me," was Tseng's curt reply.

The two men stared at one-another for a moment, the sound of Tseng's leather glove tightening around his gun being the only noise that could be heard, before the Don conceded.

"Say no more," Don Corneo waved his hand in an upward fashion, stepping aside to let Tseng and Aerith pass.

They moved together quickly as Tseng held his aim at the Don, never breaking eye contact. Aerith gripped his arm tight as she stepped over another dead body. All of this death disturbed her greatly, and she wanted no more of it. She prayed that she and her savior Turk could leave this nightmare without incurring any more bloodshed. She worried about what kind of retribution she might suffer at the hands of the Don, however, if he ever figured out exactly where she lived.

"One more thing," Corneo's voice followed them, causing Tseng to pause. "Who is going to pay for the damage incurred to my property?"

"Send the bill to the Shinra Department of Administrative Research. It will be taken care of shortly."

With that, Tseng took Aerith by her bicep and ushered her out of the building.

Together they hurried quickly away from Corneo's mansion, pausing to duck into an alleyway when they were out of range. Tseng removed his jacket to drape it around Aerith's shoulders. His white dress shirt was splattered with blood and grime. Aerith felt that the gesture he had just made was endearing, as she was now engulfed by his protective energy.

"Are you all right?" he placed his hands on her shoulders, leaning forward to look into her eyes. "Did he touch you? Did he hurt you at all?"

Unable to produce words, she slowly shook her head 'no'.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. Shinra has a long-standing, albeit a _complicated_ relationship with Corneo, so I had to enter the premises covertly."

Aerith just shook her head to convey that she understood. Basically, he broke in and took her, because there was no way Corneo would just hand her over.

"Come on," he rubbed her back in an attempt to comfort her. "I'll walk you home."

"Tseng," she breathed, "I don't want to go home. Not yet." She leaned into him, pressing her chest against his torso as her nose and lips tickled the crook of his neck.

He tensed. What was happening? Did she have any _clue_ what she was saying to him, what she was suggesting to him with her delicate body? What she was _doing_ to him?

"Aerith, you need to go to bed. You're delirious," he tried deterring her from suggesting the inevitable.

She stilled.

"No," she shook her head with resolve. "I need you."

Time stopped.

Both of Tseng's hands shook as he took her by the waist with one hand, tilting her head back with the other.

Aerith's eyes searched his as Tseng seized the moment, claiming her mouth with his own. Their eyes shut as his tongue explored her mouth, savoring her juicy taste. Aerith couldn't recall a time when Zack had kissed her like this. Then again, she and Zack were just two bumbling teenagers who had become lost in one another a lifetime ago. It was a sweet, fleeting love that was destined to end unhappily. Tseng, on the other hand, was a skilled man; A _very _skilled man. He was many years her senior; A well-traveled man who had many lovers in the past, no doubt. He shifted the angle of his head as he hovered over her, gaining deeper access into her mouth, pressing the small of her back against him in a vain attempt to meld their bodies together.

Aerith always thought that whenever Tseng looked at her, it seemed as though he would devour her whole -if he could only get his hands on her. Needless to say, he took his chance and ran with it -Quite literally, taking into account his valiant rescue job from earlier. Just as soon as she felt like she was completely out of breath and about to die from lack of oxygen, Tseng broke the kiss. He glared harshly at her, before taking her by the waist and leading her down the path to an unknown destination. They floated through a sea of bodies together. Aerith had no clue what time it was, and she still felt a bit of a body high from the pill that the chamber maid, Christina, gave to her. As it turned out, the pill was also helping her to cope with this extremely odd situation that she had somehow gotten herself into.

Tseng was potentially old enough to be her father. And if not her father, then old enough for her to look at him like an older brother figure, or an uncle who always watched over her. Aerith was merely a girl of nineteen, and the last time she saw or even heard from Zack was two years ago. She never dated anyone else. She had offers, but she promised she'd wait for her SOLDIER to return.

But now …everything was different.

The pair stopped outside of a brightly-lit building. Tseng had led her to the Wall Market Inn. He pulled the tacky curtain aside as they both entered. The desk attendant took one look at the Turk in front of him and perked up, "Ah, good evening, Sir! Shinra is more than welcome at this Inn. How can I be of service to you?" he asked in a flamboyant fashion.

Without uttering a word, Tseng extracted his wallet from his pocket, laying a black credit card on the counter.

"Oh my," the attendant nearly choked. "Please gather your lady and follow me, good Sir" he curled a long finger and guided them up a flight of stairs. Aerith took Tseng's hand and huddled against him as they ascended the stairs.

The attendant slipped Tseng his keycard as they reached their destination. "Please don't hesitate to call the front desk with any requests," he winked before sliding past them and back down the hallway.

Aerith turned to Tseng as he slid the keycard into the door. It flashed green, signaling its approval for entry. He pushed open the door to reveal a decent-sized suite overlooking Wall Market. The neon signs from the market cast the room in a strange green and pink hue. Tseng located the light switch on the nearest wall, flicking it on to reveal a kitchenette, small bar, seating area, a washroom, and bedroom through a separate door. Aerith walked past him into the sitting area as he extracted his PHS. She shrugged his suit jacket off and draped it over the back of one of the beige chairs in the sitting room. She looked back at Tseng who now had his PHS pressed to his ear as he listened to his messages. Aerith studied his Wutaian features, musing that he looked kind of cute with his brow furrowed in concentration.

Tseng was an attractive man. His looks were considered 'exotic' on the mainland, since Very few Wutaians resided in Midgar. Typically, the only ones who did were fugitives of Wutai –And that alone labelled Tseng "bad news" by default.

Aerith's brain finally caught up with her. After taking into account the wild night she experienced at the hands of Don Corneo and his thugs, she realized that she was now alone in a hotel room with yet another dangerous man. Tseng could end her life easily, without mercy, at any moment, in a split second …if he so desired.

But she knew he wouldn't.

He couldn't.

Aerith plopped on the couch and watched in fascination as Tseng loosened his tie with one finger while he continued to listen to his PHS. He cradled the phone between his ear and shoulder, running a hand through his long ebony locks before loosening his cuffs to roll up his sleeves. He discarded his fingerless leather gloves on the counter of the kitchenette area, thumbing the end-call button on his PHS. He snapped it shut, tossing it on the counter, followed by his AK-47. He unfastened his handgun holster, double checking that the safety was on before placing it on the counter beside the _larger_ weapon. Finally, he knelt down and extracted a rather large knife from underneath his pant leg, standing back up to place it among his other weapons.

After witnessing his disarming ritual, Aerith decided that she found Tseng _extremely_ sexy: He was tall and brooding, with broad shoulders and deft hands. He had such a dangerous look about him, which only served to heighten her current state of arousal. Why hadn't she seen it before? She supposed she was too blinded by her devotion to Zack to be fully able to see what was in front of her all along: A gorgeous man who would do anything to protect her (and then some).

"Would you like a drink?" he asked casually over his shoulder as he opened the small, fully-stocked mini fridge in the kitchenette.

"Sure…" she suddenly felt shy again. She never quite sure how to act around men. Especially _THIS_ man.

Tseng extracted a few mini-bottles of liquor from the fridge, and a glass from the cupboard. He cracked the bottles open and poured them all into the same glass. He stirred it with his finger before taking a swig, followed by the _normally-composed Turk_ making a harsh face in disgust.

Aerith laughed softly at his display, "Any good?"

"Delicious," he coughed, chuckling softly in return.

Tseng never laughed. He smiled from time to time on rare occasions, and only for her.

Aerith found it refreshing.

He made his way over to the object of his ever-burning desire, handing her the drink. She gently brushed her fingers against his before taking the glass. That simple touch sent shivers down her spine, their bodies electrified by each other's presence. She pressed the concoction to her lips and took a swig of it It was pure alcohol and burned cold going down. She coughed before sucking in a deep breath, shoving the glass back at him, squeezing her eyes shut, "That's it for me. I'm already a bit dizzy. They gave me a weird orange pill at the mansion, too, so I don't know how well everything will mix. I already feel like I'm floating…"

He studied her for a moment. "THC," he stated bluntly before taking another gulp of the "mind-eraser" he had made for himself, finishing it off before slamming the empty glass down on the counter.

"Wha-?" Aerith didn't know what he meant.

"THC," he repeated, wiping his chin with the back of his hand. "It's a sedative -highly potent in pill form. It …lowers inhibitions."

"Hmm," came her simple reply.

She continued to stare at Tseng's tall, lean form while he stood at the counter with his back to her.

Her mind was made up. It was now or never.

Slowly, carefully, she stood from the couch, un-doing her sash, allowing the ornate robe to flutter to the carpet.

"Tseng," she called to him softly.

He turned his head to peer at her beyond his dark curtain of hair. What he saw made his heart stop:

Aerith now stood naked before him, ready and willing.

(Inhibitions? Definitely lowered.)

Without hesitation, Tseng strode across the room, snatching her up into his arms, kissing her with wild abandon. He fell to his knees before her, worshipping her body with his mouth as he licked and kissed his way along her torso, squeezing her backside with agile hands. Aerith yelped as he dragged her to the ground. He hovered over her like a wild beast about to devour its prey. She complied with fervor as he spead her legs with his right hand, slipping a finger between her folds as he claimed a perky pink nipple with his mouth. She cried out from pleasure as he simultaneously swirled his tongue around her nipple and curled his finger within her.

"Tell me what you want," he demanded as he toyed with her pussy a bit more roughly, bringing his face back up to meet hers.

"I want-" she stifled a moan as Tseng slipped another finger inside, brushing her hair from her face with his free hand.

"Tell me," he coaxed her further, breathing heavily now.

"Tseng, I-!" He was pumping his fingers much faster now, and she felt something within her wind up tight, ready to pop at any moment.

"Aerith!" he snarled.

She gripped the fabric at his shoulders and held on for dear life as she bestowed a furious orgasm upon her.

"I want you! I want you to fuck me! Tseng!" she cried out, unable to control herself as her entire body clenched around his fingers in ecstasy.

Those words were music to his ears. He waited so long for her to give into him. _So long…_ He had begun to think that it was never going to happen. And if this was all just a dream, he'd gladly take it and deal with his frustration in the morning.

Tseng stood quickly, pulling her up with him. Her legs were still shaky from the orgasm, so he swooped her up bridal style, carrying her into the bedroom. Aerith felt so warm and safe in his arms, nestled snug against his chest. He set her down on the bed before getting to work on unbuttoning his blood-stained dress shirt. Aerith watched his every move. She was so unaccustomed to this side of Tseng: A Tseng who drank hard liquor and laughed and was overtly sexual. Heck, she'd only ever seen him in his suit and tie, but now he was laying it all out before her as he discarded his expensive dress shirt and navy blue tie in a heap on the floor.

The first thing she noticed was how broad his shoulders were. Next, she noticed his toned arms and abdomen; He had the lithe body of a swimmer. Lastly, she noticed the edges of a tattoo peeking over his shoulder, and another one wrapping onto his lower torso from his back. With his long ebony hair and sculpted features, he looked like a model.

Aerith stood from the bed to as he began unbuckling his belt. However, her small fingers interfered as they took over as they brushed his aside. He studied her as she undid his belt, sliding it from his trousers before dropping it to the floor next to the rest of his discarded clothing. His hands rested upon her shoulders, gently massaging them as she slowly unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, biting her lip in anticipation. He took her chin and tilted her head up into a kiss as she slipped her hand into his boxers. She lightly skimmed the tip of his cock with her fingers before Tseng gripped her hand, removing it with a light growl. She giggled and rested her hands on his waist instead. She lazily kissed his breast bone, trailing her tongue down to his nipple. She never acted so brazen before! Something about the way Tseng smelled and tasted… like clean soap and salty sweat. He was absolutely delicious.

The simple act of Aerith licking his nipple sent her flying backwards onto the bed, per Tseng's strong hands. He stepped out of his trousers and boxers, leaving them behind in yet another heap on the floor.

She was _really_ in for it now. His tall, nude form backed her up on the mattress as he crawled on top of her, bearing down on her small form with positively no restraint. She laced her arms underneath his to rub her hands along his shoulders. He kissed her fervently, savoring each and every second.

"Tseng," she whispered in a soft plea.

He readied himself at her entrance. Aerith stole a glance down to where their bodies prepared to connect. He was well-endowed. She expected no less. It had been two years since she was intimate with Zack, so she was unsure if Tseng would fit right away. Instead of thinking too much about it, she bit her lip and braced for whatever it was that was about to hit her. She looked up at Tseng; her beautiful sentinel. She saw it in his brown depths: He wanted her forever. She nodded her head in approval as he entered her swiftly.

Aerith's mind raced: This was _Tseng_. Tseng was _actually_ inside of her. They were _really doing this_.

She felt so full. Then, she felt the delicious drag as he began to move, sliding in and out, his body in beautiful motion as he hovered above her. She marveled at his broad chest and shoulders as she shifted her pelvis upward to grant him deeper access.

"You feel so good," she breathed. How long had she been holding her breath?

He took her wrists and held them above her head as he pumped faster. She responded by wrapping her legs firmly around his waist, egging him further in by pushing against his backside with her heels. Small noises escaped her mouth as he fucked her deep.

Suddenly, he sat up, pulling her up with him, never breaking contact. She was now straddling him as they both knelt upright. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he guided her hips up and down on his firm cock. She held him tightly as his fingers harshly gripped her backside while they moved together in sweet bliss. Between squeezing her eyes shut from the onslaught of pleasure and trying to open them from time to time to gather images from her experience, she noticed something; with her head dangling over his shoulder she was able to see that nearly the entirety of Tseng's back was covered in a rather large, rather elegant tattoo. It appeared to be a dragon.

Tseng was just full of surprises.

In her moment of wonder, he had also found her sweet spot.

She yelped as he hit a spot deep within her that could only be hit _just right_ from the upright position they were now in. She dug her nails into his back and bit down on his shoulder, stifling a scream as he pounded what he had found within her -over and over, slamming her hips down onto his own with a harsh grip.

She held on tight as she screamed his name.

Tseng let out a fierce noise as another orgasm took her, her pussy clenching his cock in a vice grip.

He usually lasted _much_ longer, but this was _Aerith_, and he couldn't quite help himself as he came in crashing waves along with her. He slammed her small body down upon the mattress as he pounded out his own orgasm, cumming hard while she writhed in pleasure below him. It was more than he could ever dream of …and it was more than Aerith ever expected from him.

He shuddered as she ran her fingers along his abdomen, prolonging the electrified feeling that ran through both of their bodies. He placed a hand behind her head, lifting it up to crash his mouth upon her own, tongues lapping at one another as their frantic lovemaking subsided.

* * *

"How many times did you come to see me?"

Tseng took a drag if his cigarette, looking at her for a moment before exhaling his smoke to the side.

"Twice," he ashed his cigarette into the tray he had been balancing on his knee.

"Oh," she managed to reply, snuggling into his chest.

She expected that to be the end of the conversation (he had to have _some_ pride, after all), but to her genuine surprise, he delved further: "I didn't want to ...interfere with your job. I know finding work can be hard in the slums. But Palmer's usual shitshow antics dragged me down here last night," he finished with an almost undetectable sigh, taking another puff of his cigarette.

Aerith recalled wistfully, "Ohh, the gunfire next door." She sat up to plant a quick kiss upon his jaw. "The girls were in a tizzy last night from all the commotion," she giggled. "They were all set to make some serious coin since Shinra came to the neighborhood."

He gave her a small smile before brushing a stray curl from her eyes.

"So," she began, nudging her shoulder forward in her signature flirty fashion, "what brought you to MY booth, huh?"

He deliberated before snuffing out his cigarette, placing the ash tray on the night stand. He turned back to her before responding, "Coincidence. After we got Palmer out of the Inn, he realized his PHS was missing. We traced it to the club. I'm sure you can figure out the rest." He folded his arms behind his head, settling his body into the pillows behind him. Aerith marveled at his toned biceps. Tseng was made of lean muscle and alabaster skin, which was a stark contrast to her tanned, bulky SOLDIER from the jungle of Gongaga.

The information he provided washed some relief over her. So Tseng hadn't been coming in every night to see her? It seemed that he respected her enough to stay out of her place of employment, at least. But still, he knew where she worked, and had discreetly offered to help her out financially so she didn't have to do it anymore.

"I wonder if that was the guy who kept asking me to call him a filthy dog and threaten to chop off his balls..." she said as innocently as she could. However, she became alarmed when Tseng hunched to the side, his entire body shaking in an odd fashion. She became even more concerned after hearing the loud noise that he emitted:

Tseng was laughing -No, not just laughing -_convulsing_ with mirth. It took him a minute to turn back to her, still chuckling to himself, "Yes. That HAD to be Palmer."

"That's how he gets his kicks, huh?" she smiled, amused by Tseng's out-of-character fit of laughter.

"I'm afraid so," he smiled back with a toothy, silly grin plastered to his face.

Aerith couldn't help but think that Tseng was sexy when he smiled. She wished he would do it more often.

"So..." she pressed on, "What did you think ...of me? Were you surprised when you found out it was _my_ booth?"

He stroked the soft flesh of her shoulder with his knuckles before answering, "I was a little surprised." He spoke more freely now, as though his bout of laughter had opened a door that allowed the conversation to flow more easily. "I didn't really expect to see you. I didn't want to bother you. But I didn't want you working there..." he was quiet for a moment. She could feel his stern demeanor float into the conversation, but it passed quickly. "I traced the PHS to the Doll House. The name over the booth said 'Lily', so I figured it was you. I dropped a coin in ...out of curiosity. I prayed that it wasn't you," he stopped suddenly. Aerith sat up and looked at him with the utmost intensity now. He refused to look at her as he continued, "But it was."

She could practically feel the disappointment in his words.

"Was it horrible?" she asked in a small, trembling voice. "You must have been truly disgusted with me," she could feel the hot tingling behind her eyes, signaling that they were about to water. She was utterly disgusted with herself, so Tseng had to feel the same way. Right?

"Just the opposite," he snatched her hand and pressed it against his chest. She felt his heart, which was fluttering, pounding, racing... "I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't _not_ look at you..." He squeezed her hand before pulling it up to his mouth to kiss her wrist; a simple act that made her own heart flutter and skin flush. "It tortured me… knowing that other men were seeing you, _looking at you_ like that." He pulled her close now, embracing her protectively, "I only wanted you to dress that way, to act that way, look like that …for me. To talk like that to **me** –and **nobody else**."

Aerith didn't know whether to be flattered or frightened.

She now knew one thing for absolute sure:

_Elmyra was right._

* * *

_**To be continued...**  
_


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi everyone! Thanks for the continued support and kind reviews!**

**Here's another chapter to move things along. I have big plans for this story.**

**FFVII and all characters are property of Square-Enix. No money is being made from his work of fiction.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Where have you BEEN?" Elmyra's voice shrilled as she latched on to her daughter, hugging the breath from Aerith's lungs, taking a step back to look her up and down. "My poor girl, what happened to you?! Did someone-!" she froze at her impending thought.

"I'm okay mom," Aerith sighed audibly. "I'm really tired. Can we talk about it later? I just want to sleep."

"But... your clothes! What in the world are you wearing!? Where did you get such a robe? Is that Wute? It looks expensive…!"

"I can explain later. Tseng helped me, he—"

"TSENG? -That …_MAN?_ Did he touch you?!" Elmyra was frantic now. "That filthy WUTE! I should have known!"

"Mom!" Aerith pleaded, desperate to get out of Elmyra's grasp.

"That man is nothing but a Shinra Dog! He's wanted you from the moment he laid eyes on you, and now he's done -THIS to you!" her voice began to crack. She clenched a fist, placing it in her mouth to keep from sobbing outright. "I tried to look the other way when you ran around with that boy from SOLDIER, but now _THIS?_ This is _too much_…!"

Aerith didn't deny it. She couldn't go into detail about her place of employment and her debacle with Don Corneo, so the next best option was to settle on the shame of spending the night with an older man. And Tseng of all people… It was all she could do to deter Elmyra from asking further questions. She figured it was better that Elmyra only knew about her only daughter's romp with a Turk, rather than her other more shameful exploits.

"Mom," Aerith began, carefully tip-toeing around details, "I'm okay. Tseng helped me when some strangers attacked me. He stopped them from _really_ hurting me."

"Of course he did! He outright stalks you! He's probably listening to us right now, heaven help us!" Elmyra's voice lowered to a hush, "What about your clothes? Where in the world…?"

"I stayed with him," Aerith refused to meet her mother's eyes now. "I stayed with Tseng. I'm sorry, mom. I didn't mean to let you down. I didn't know what else to do," her eyes began to water.

Elmyra cupped Aerith's face in her hands, forcing her to look at her, "Didn't I teach you better?" The sadness and disappointment in her voice cut Aerith like a knife. "What did he do to you, lovey?" The tears flowed freely down Elmyra's face now.

"…Nothing I didn't want, mom," Aerith was crying now, too.

Elmyra released her daughter -her beautiful, loving daughter, and sullenly made her way over to the sink. She sobbed as she gazed out the window. Aerith hugged herself tightly. No more words needed to be said as she quietly retreated. She made her way upstairs, down the hallway, and into her bedroom. Closing the door behind her, she leaned her back against it before slumping to the floor. Pressing her knees against her chest, she sobbed to herself, rocking gently, lulling herself to sleep.

Aerith imagined Tseng's warm embrace as she entered troubled dreams.

* * *

Lilies always seemed to be Aerith's biggest, most brilliant blooms. They perked up whenever she entered the church. She had been in the process of transplanting a few bulbs on Elmyra's property to see how they would fare. It was an experiment she began when the planet led her to a patch of nutrient-rich soil beside her home. She had planted tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and lentils at the beginning of the season. With a little TLC, filtered water, and some extra prayers and elbow grease, the garden burst to life! This provided Aerith and Elmyra with nutritious food that actually had some color and flavor, rather than the government-portioned rations and convenience store processed foods that slum-dwellers were accustomed to.

She now sat on the stairs in the sacristy of the church, soaking in the sunlight that poured in from the hole in the roof. She unpacked her lunch of sliced tomatoes, cheese, crusty bread, and lemon water, sitting alone with her thoughts as she munched on her tasty meal.

It had been a week since her whole ordeal with The Don and The Turk. A week since she disappointed Elmyra to the point of not speaking to her. A week since she had seen or heard from Tseng.

Aerith's thoughts wandered to her night spent with Tseng: Thoughts of his hands and mouth roaming over her body, the way he moaned her name, his long hair spilling over his shoulders as he kissed her…

She let out a sigh that echoed off the sacristy walls. A startled bird flew from the rafters and up through the hole in the ceiling, leaving a few feathers to float through the filtered sunlight overhead. Aerith finished up her lunch, packing her bento into her pouch as she readied herself to get back to work in the flower garden. However, she stopped in her tracks when she noticed something wasn't quite right. She spied something out of the corner of her eye that she wished she hadn't:

Her flower cart -The one Zack built for her. She pushed it to the back of the sacristy, covering it with a tarp to keep it out of sight and out of mind. Nowadays, she had resorted to climbing to the plate to sell her flowers, so the cart would just be a hindrance. That and she preferred not to utilize such a stinging reminder of Zack that would dredge up any grief-induced memories.

Still, she could never really bear to part with it; being that it was was all she had left of him. So she covered it up and pushed it to the back of the building (much like she did with Zack – back in the recesses of her mind).

Something was_ very_ wrong.

She could _feel _it.

Someone had violated her memories, her precious property.

She edged her way over to the shadowed area where her cart stood, still covered with the familiar khaki tarp. With a shaky hand she lifted the edge, tugging the cover off in a fluid motion.

What she saw made her heart sink.

The cart was smashed into fragments, broken beyond repair. It looked as though someone took an axe and a sledgehammer to it, pulverizing it beyond all recognition.

She brought her hands up to her mouth and gasped.

"No," she whispered, falling to her knees in anguish.

* * *

"Would you like to buy a flower? Only one gil!"

Sometime later, after she pulled herself together, Aerith found herself wandering above the plate in Sector Five, trying to make money at her better-known profession: flower sales. Since she wasn't bringing in the income she had been making at the Doll House, she really had to hustle to make ends meet. Tonight, however, proved to be unprofitable. Exhausted and disheartened, Aerith took a seat at the edge of the fountain in the center of the Sector 5 square.

Just as she was about to let herself relax, a shrill voice caught her by surprise, "Lily! Where you been, girl?!"

Aerith perked up as Shayla approached her with her hands in her pockets, chomping on her bubblegum like a cow.

"Back to flower sales, huh? That's cool. Being a dancer isn't for everybody…" she smiled, fiddling with her hair. "You know, you should just open a shop and be a florist! My gramma was a florist in Nibelheim."

Aerith giggled at her friend's random train of thought before answering, "Hey Shay. How's the club? I missed you."

"I missed you too, girlie!" she plopped down next to the flower girl, running her fingers along the top of the water in the fountain, her gold hoop bracelets jingling as she shook water droplets from her manicured fingertips.

"I have some stuff for you, back at my place. Savannah dumped your drawers a few nights ago since she figured you weren't coming back."

Aerith's eyes lit up. Shayla had her belongings! She was worried about her metal cuffs, her favorite pink dress, her jacket and trusty work boots, figuring that they were a lost cause. She still had one thing, however: The White Materia that Her Birth Mother bequeathed to her before she died. Aerith never really figured out what kind of materia it was, or how to even use it for that matter. She never really had much use for materia; she was endowed with enough secret ancient power to avoid ever having to use it. The white orb remained tucked safely away in her braid where no one would suspect it.

Aerith found it odd that Shayla didn't ask her WHY she left, or even gossip about Don Corneo's mansion being shot up that night, so she felt it best to leave it alone. They were just two slum girls who lived by street code, and it seemed that Shayla respected Aerith's privacy enough to butt out of her affairs. That -or she didn't want to know because she didn't want to get involved (in which case keeping a zipped lip and closed ears would be the smartest course of action).

On the walk to Shayla's abode, Aerith's mind wandered back to her destroyed flower cart. She couldn't shake the feeling of dread that overwhelmed her. She had a sinking feeling that it had been Tseng's doing, out of jealousy and possessiveness, perhaps? If it had been him, was he trying to send her a message? As in: _'You're mine now and nobody else's.'_ She had no way of knowing for sure. Not at the moment, anyhow. Still, she couldn't believe that she did what she did _with Tseng. _Just the mere thought if it still exhilarated her. The things they did together…

Aerith suddenly felt flush. She was intimidated, and maybe even a little frightened by Tseng, but something about him made her heart jump. Her entire body felt light and her tummy fluttered.

"We're here!" Shayla's voice rang out. Aerith briskly followed her up crumbling steps into a dilapidated boarding house. "Wait out here," she motioned for Aerith the stand in the hallway, and within a few moments, she reappeared with a garbage bag filled with Aerith's belongings.

The flower girl accepted the bag with a bright smile, "Thanks, Shay. This means a lot to me."

"Don't mention it," she smiled back. Her smile faded though, as her focus shifted to something behind Aerith.

"Wha-?" Aerith turned her head in time to see two men approaching them from the common area: Don Corneo's dreaded dimwits: Scotch and Kotch.

"Shit," Aerith Seethed, clutching the garbage bag to her chest.

Shayla assessed the situation, realizing quickly that those were the two men who swept the Doll House the week prior when Lily didn't come back.

"Quick, Lil, in here," Shayla grabbed Aerith by the arm and dragged her into her room, securing several locks behind her. They didn't have much time to relax, however, as heavy gunfire blasted through the door.

A male's voice boomed from the other side, "Open up, sluts, or else we'll shoot it down!"

"Who you callin' a slut?!" Shayla fired back. Aerith grabbed her, covering her mouth as she made her way over to the window.

"Can we get out this way?" Aerith whispered frantically.

"Yeah," Shayla opened the window. "Lets climb the fire escape to the top of the roof. They might have men at the end of the alley. It's best if we go up there and then launch over to the next building."

The girls scaled the side of the building, scrambling to make it to the top as they heard rounds of automatic weaponry from the room they had just escaped from.

"Fuck! The landlord is gonna kill me! Imma be back to sleeping on the floor at the club!" Shayla cried.

"No time to worry about that now!" Aerith grabbed the other girl by the wrist, hauling her up onto the roof behind her. She slung her bag of belongings over her shoulder as the pair made their way to the roof's edge at the façade of the building. From that vantage point, they spied Don Corneo and a handful of his men at the entrance.

"If that little bitch thinks she can still do business in Midgar after what happened to my home, she's got another thing coming. She owes me money. She owes me that tight little pussy, too" Corneo growled in frustration, chomping on the end of a cigar.

Blinded by her rage, Aerith grabbed a jagged piece of rubble from the roof and stood upright, exposing herself to the cretins below her, "I don't owe you ANYTHING you disgusting tub of lard!"

The Don was genuinely surprised to see her above him. He was even more surprised when she whipped a heavy piece of rubble from the crumbling roof at his head.

One thing about Aerith: She may not have been very strong, but _boy_ could she aim.

"Shit!" two men yelled in unison as they came to the Don's aid. Aerith had knocked him out cold, and now he was lying belly-up on the pavement.

She heard Shayla gasp behind her, "Is he _dead?!"_

"I'm not about to stick around to find out!" Aerith grabbed her by the hand and dragged her across the roof to the building's opposite edge.

Just as she was about to jump, however, Shayla pulled back in protest, returning them both to the concrete rooftop.

"Wha-?"

Before she knew what was happening, Aerith felt her whole body slam to the ground. Something heavy connected with her neck, the pressure of it constricting her airway. She struggled to look up as her arm felt like it was about to snap backwards at the shoulder. What she saw surprised her: The upside-down image of Shayla, snarling in her face, malice replacing the friendly demeanor she had exhibited only moments prior.

Next, she heard the scuffling of boots and male voices as they drew near. Scotch and Kotch had caught up with them.

"Good work, baby!" Kotch whooped as he drew near, tilting his head to examine Aerith's flushed face. "Scotch, get down there and check on the boss! We'll be down in a few with the skank."

"She mighta killed him!" Shayla cried, increasing pressure with her knee on the neck of the girl below her. She held Aerith's arm in a vice grip, ready to snap it if she got out of line.

Aerith put it all together: Shayla had been working for the Don all along.

She could have kicked herself for being so stupid. What did Elmyra always tell her? _~~ "You can't trust __**anybody**__ in the slums." ~~_

"The Don is gonna have a field day with _you_, pretty kitty!" Kotch laughed darkly as grabbed her by the hair. Shayla removed her knee to lean into him, forcing Aerith to look up at them both as she cried out in pain. "You like what we did to your little business cart? You thought you could just_ leave_ your place of employment like that and not expect somethin' in return? I don't think so."

Shayla outstretched a hand to trace a finger along Aerith's cheek, "You shouldn'ta hit the Don like that, Lil. Now you're _really _gonna get it!" Shayla drew her hand back to strike the girl below her, but was cut short by a loud explosion. Aerith witnessed the traitorous woman above her go still before feeling something warm trickle down her face. Shayla slumped to the side as another loud 'Boom!' went off and Kotch fell forward lifelessly. Before Aerith could fully process what had happened, she sat up to see a figure in the distance.

Tseng.

He stood at to opposite end of the roof with his gun still smoking.

Aerith appraised the bodies before her: Both were shot through the back of the skull, the exit wounds displayed in a horrific fashion on both their foreheads. She felt nauseous. Slowly, she lifted her hand to wipe the warm liquid from her own brow. Her head swam as she studied the sticky warm substance on her fingers. Tseng's form drew near as frantic yelling could be heard below. The Don's crew was in a panic to help their fallen leader, as well as the two people left on the roof.

Aerith's brain tried to catch up to what was happening. She felt strong hands hoist her up and carry her to the fire escape opposite the one that she and Shayla had climbed up on. Tseng expertly descended the metal stairs whilst carrying Aerith's temporarily paralyzed form.

The rest was a blur. She remembered different alleyways, a vehicle… a car ride? Tseng's gloved hands on the wheel. Street lights. An elevator. Tseng's gloved hand entering a keycard.

And then darkness.

* * *

**To be continued...**


End file.
